A recent multi-million dollar investment in the New Brunswick Innovation Fund will support work right here in our backyard.Dr. Karen Kidd is a research chair at UNB Saint John and she tells CHSJ News the money she has received from the NBIF has gone towards equipment giving her students a state of the art facility working in ecotoxicology.

She says because of the fantastic infrastructure the students are able to do world class research and get training that makes them more attractive to future employers.

Kidd and her students are examining the impact of toxins on fish and on the birds or people eating that fish.

The underemployed have some hope this week in the form of a job fair for the new Target store.

A job fair is underway in Saint John at the Loch Lomond Mall until 530pm tonight again tomorrow through to Saturday.It runs tomorrow from 11:30am to 8:30pm and on Friday and Saturday from 830am to 5:30pm.

The amount of vacant office space in Saint John is double what you will find in other cities around the Maritimes.

Despite that and one of the highest unemployment rates of any city in the national survey by Stats Canada, former Mayor Bob Lockhart tells CHSJ News although things are tough now, he's optimistic about the future, saying the storm clouds that have afflicted Saint John for the past twenty years or so are, in hiw view, on the verge of disappearing.

The amount of vacant office space is a prime reason why city staff opposed the relocation of a small accounting firm with 7 employees to the east side from uptown.

Some members of Common Council were left scratching their heads trying to figure out why city staff opposed a small accounting firm, Padgett Business Services, moving from Hazen Street to Loch Lomand Road close to the City Transit garage.

Councillor Ray Strowbridge says it's not as if it will be the only small business on that part of the street. He views Loch Lomand Road as mixed development with both residential and businesses lumped in together.

Business owner Robert Cole says he wants to move from Hazen Street because of prostitution, vagrancy and drug dealing in the neighbourhood. He has received approval in principle to move ahead.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation predicts the hike on Canada Day in provincial income tax will not only put a damper on economic growth because people will have less money to spend.

The Federation's Atlantic Director Kevin Lacey tells CHSJ News it will send more people from this province out west because people vote with their feet these days. He estimates in the last five years, something like 34 hundred people have left for Alberta from New Brunswick.

Lacey maintains the only way you can get a handle on the deficit and keep people from moving away is to grow the economy but raising taxes won't accomplish that especially when the provincial deficit is expected to rise to 479 million dollars in spite of the provincial income tax going up.

The Conference Board of Canada's Help Wanted Index has dropped in New Brunswick for the second month in a row.

Common Council has overruled both city staff and the Planning Advisory Committee by approving in principle the expansion of the Glen Falls Trailer Park off Glen Road but instead of trailers, 80 mini homes will be constructed.

Ward 4 Common Councillor Ray Strowbridge is on board after hearing there will be an underground pond to store water and ease any concerns over flooding. The other councillor for Ward 4, David Merrithew points out revenue from building permits has dropped off significantly and Councillor at Large Shirley McAlary says Saint John needs this type of development.

Kamal Debly of Debly Construction says it means much needed revenue for city coffers. The project will add 7 million dollars to the city's tax base with additional revenue from building permits for the mini homes that area constructed.

In addition, the city will not be responsible for garbage collection and snow plowing which will be done privately.